Nov 28, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dribbles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid Compares Sixers Rookie to All-Star Guard

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 4, 2024 9:52 PM ET

Being a playoff-caliber team with championship aspirations, the Philadephia 76ers haven’t been known to offer younger players a ton of opportunities in recent years.

Former first-round pick Tyrese Maxey needed a season before he was inserted into the team’s starting lineup on a nightly basis. Once Maxey landed in the starting five, he made it difficult for the Sixers to take him out.

Since Maxey, the Sixers brought on just two players through the first round of the NBA Draft. Jaden Springer is no longer with the team after he was traded at the deadline last February. Former Duke standout Jared McCain is the other.

On Tuesday, McCain fired up his first NBA training camp. By Wednesday, he was showered with praise by the team’s one-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey and the head coach Nick Nurse.

On day three, the seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid chimed in with some notable praise for the young guard and even went as far as comparing McCain to their teammate, Tyrese Maxey.

Embiid’s Praise for McCain

"He competes,” Embiid told reporters, according to Sixers Wire. “He’s tough. He competes. Great shot-maker. He’s been shooting the ball extremely well. Great energy. I think he has a pretty good chance. I don't want to put the expectations out there, but I kind of—I got to see more, but so far, he's been, it's been good just, you know, great personality.

"I saw the same thing with Tyrese. He’s excited. I think at this point, he seems to be more in control, more pace to his game, but, obviously, both are great shooters. Great personality. Seems to always be smiling for no reason."

Maxey and McCain’s journeys to the NBA were similar. Both were five-star recruits entering the NCAA and became instant starters at their schools. McCain appeared in 36 games for Duke, seeing the court for over 32 minutes on a nightly basis.

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Offensively, McCain produced 14 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field. He knocked down 41 percent of his threes and averaged 89 percent from the free-throw line.

In the rebounding department, McCain accounted for five boards per game. He also accounted for one steal per matchup. While McCain dipped past the NBA Draft lottery area, he wasn’t left on the board for long. With the 16th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Sixers passed up on incoming trade offers to take a chance on McCain.

Training camp is just a small sample size, but with ringing endorsements from Nick Nurse, Tyrese Maxey, and now Joel Embiid, it’s safe to say McCain is passing his first test in the NBA.